Eva Green was first tapped as a candidate to renowned opera singer Maria Callas in the biopic Callas in July 2010. When we checked in with Green earlier this year, no deal was in place, but the part was still on her mind:

“They’re writing the script. That’s a scary role, so we’ll see.”

Now, thanks to THR, we know who “they” are. Niki Caro (Whale Rider) will co-write the script with Alfonso Signorini based on Signorini’s book Too Proud, Too Fragile. Caro will also direct, and hopefully her skilled hand behind the camera will reassure Green to sign on. Hit the jump for background on Callas and clips of the soprano at work.

Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts. An extremely versatile singer, her repertoire ranged from classical opera seria to the bel canto operas of Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini; further, to the works of Verdi and Puccini; and, in her early career, to the music dramas of Wagner. Her remarkable musical and dramatic talents led to her being hailed as La Divina.

Born in New York City and raised by an overbearing mother, she received her musical education in Greece and established her career in Italy. Forced to deal with the exigencies of wartime poverty and with myopia that left her nearly blind onstage, she endured struggles and scandal over the course of her career. She turned herself from a heavy woman into a svelte and glamorous one after a mid-career weight loss, which might have contributed to her vocal decline and the premature end of her career. The press exulted in publicizing Callas’ allegedly temperamental behavior, her supposed rivalry with Renata Tebaldi and her love affair with Aristotle Onassis.

That certainly reads like a musical biopic. And my god, check this out:

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